By Chad Hershberger
This blog post is part of a series on leadership lessons from the prophet Nehemiah.
Nehemiah was a great example of a good leader, as I’ve written about in other posts. Today, I’d like to take another lesson from this wise prophet. In the fourth chapter of Nehemiah, he faces some adversity. Folks were against what he was doing. But Nehemiah didn’t turn and run. He did not let his opposition set the agenda. He stayed the course that he felt God directed him to take.
At camp, our staff have looked at Biblical characters and how God helped direct them in their lives and was faithful. Often, the characters were unsure of their destination. And they knew God was leading them. That is a good character trait of a leader: being led by God, even if they do not know the destination. And, if there is opposition, learn to manage that but stay the course, if you believe you are on the right path. If it is God’s path, it is right!
I’ve been reading a book by Joan Garry called Guide to Non-Profit Leadership. In it, she describes several kinds of leaders—Superman, Spiderman, Gumby, and Kermit the Frog. She says each has attributes that you might want in an organization, but that Kermit is probably the character that you want to be most like. He is good at bringing his team together to accomplish a goal. (Side note: It’s usually to save his theatre. I’ve watched enough Muppets to see that theme!)
Nehemiah keeps his eyes focused on God and the mission. He follows his call, not the people’s wishes. He has faith and keeps his mind on the goal through prayer and perseverance. He keeps working, prays, and keeps working. Repeat.
In Christian leadership, the secret to keeping away from the opposition and going down the wrong path is to stay close to God. God will reward you with the prize. Or, in Nehemiah’s case, the completion of the wall. If you need a reminder, maybe sing “Rainbow Connection!”
Moving on to Chapter 5 of Nehemiah, the story of the building of the wall is not mentioned. This chapter is all about internal strife. And yes, it has to do with money! The workers are upset because they quit their jobs to do this work and are not getting income. They are burdened by lack of funding!
Reading this out of context, we might think this is a story of the year 2020. Job losses. People worried about making ends meet. Leaders having to furlough staff, including members of their own families. It can cause division. And you know what they say: “United We Stand. Divided We Fall.”
As a leader, how do we build unity? It can be tough. But listening is part of it. Getting people on board an idea, program, or new way of doing something before you do it will help to build that unity.
What is next year going to look like? Who knows? I remember back in 2020 that my summer staff spent time talking about the next year. During the pandemic, we had no idea what we would face the following year. I tried to build unity among the staff as to what we might expect. They gave ideas and we talked through some possibilities. I tried to get them to “buy into” what things will be like so that we can be united, not divided, in our thinking.
Building consensus and unity among your followers can be tough, especially when someone has a strong mind or opinion about something. But it can be key to leadership. If everyone is united in their thinking, you won’t have a mutiny from your workers, like Nehemiah faced.
Do you have other ideas on how to build consensus and get people to stand together so they will work hard toward your mission and not fall? Please reach out and share them if you do!
Other entries in this series:
Part 1: Nehemiah and team leadership
Part 2: Building up and creating order out of chaos
Part 3: More lessons from Nehemiah
Part 4: Spiritual care and the rewind